Watts he have to do?

ALL SAINTS forward Fergus Watts wants is a chance to show the football world just what he can do.

After four years in the AFL system, the 21-year-old is still awaiting his first full pre-season and the opportunity to let his potential come to the surface.

Only now, in the second half of 2007, is the powerfully-built youngster starting to unleash his talents after 18 long months on the sidelines due to injury.

At 196cm and 98kgs, Watts is a rare package and one AFL clubs are aware don't come along too often.

That's why the Saints snaffled him at the end of 2005 when he decided to depart Adelaide two seasons after being drafted from Wesley College and the Sandringham Under 18 side.

Watts booted a goal in his first match for his new club – against West Coast in round one of 2006 – before shattering his ankle for the second time in his career while playing for the Casey Scorpions just two weeks later.

The result has been a long and frustrating trip along the road to recovery, although Watts is staying positive in the hope that his time will come.

He booted seven goals in a match for Casey earlier this month, and is starting to regain confidence not only in his once-broken leg, but also his ability to play at the top level.

"I missed all of pre-season (last year) and then I think I played my first game about round eight or nine," he said.

"I've played about 10 or 11 games this year, and it's probably taken me all that time just to get a little bit of confidence back and get a bit of conditioning and a bit of strength back in my leg.

"We're going pretty well down at Casey and I've played a few good games down there, so it's sort of starting to come back."

Watts, who played five games in two years at the Crows before joining St Kilda, knew 2007 would be difficult after such a severe setback last season.

"I wasn't really expecting too much (this year)," Watts said.

"I mean, I'd missed a year-and-a-half of footy, I'd had five operations in that time all on my leg and ankle."

Missing so much footy started to play on his mind, and he admitted there were some dark moments.

"You start having all these doubts about whether you can play or not, whether you're up to it, whether your leg's going to hold up," he said.

"But I knew I was going to come back and play at least the second half of this year.

"Obviously I would have liked to have played a few games in the AFL but that hasn't happened.

"When you've got Fraser (Gehrig) and Rooey (Nick Riewoldt) down there it's tough but that's just the way it is."

Watts thinks his best chance for a 'breakout' year is to stay fit, believing the rewards will come if he can simply work hard and get his body to the required standard to play AFL football.

"My view is just to stay uninjured and then hope to have a full pre-season," Watts said.

"I've been in the system for four years now and never had a full pre-season.

"I had chronic osteitis pubis and ruptured an ankle once before this. If I can get a full pre-season under my belt and get a good fitness base under my belt then hopefully a lot of these problems will go away."